The Number 9
by Anaya of Wolves
Summary: COMPLETE. Sequel to 'The Child'.  This goes into a more explaination on just WHO the Cheshire Cat had been.  And why the number 9 is hated.


Well, I'm back to updating stories again. Yay…anyway. This here is a sequel to a previous story I did called 'The Child'. This goes more in detail just WHO the Cheshire Cat had been. Will sort-of reference a bit of the game…so, some spoilers.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Alice…Lewis Carroll and American McGee does…well, the former does really.

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><p>9.<p>

The number that haunted him long before the nightmarish change to Wonderland had ever taken a toll. It was the one thing that he remembered from the other 'reality'.

It was him.

**~9~**

Alice found him seated in a usual spot, sitting on the edge of a building in the mismatched world that was dubbed 'Londerland.' The dark-haired brunette walked up as quietly as she could, she had no reason to alert the other of her presence or to break his concentration.

"Alice…" said the deep voice she had grown accustom to talk with and hear. Once her name had been spoken, she stopped a few feet behind the other's new form. The green-eyed one had wondered why he now looked like that, asking previously but not getting an answer of much help. But that wasn't what she wanted to know now.

"Cat, I've been curious…" she started with, then heard a '…like a kitten…' from the other before she continued on, "Who are you based on from London when Wonderland was warped?" She knew the doctors were the Tweedles and Hatter…but who was the Cat?

There was a sigh from the long, black-haired man, and then he turned his head back, his bright eyes meeting hers. Though there was something in the

Stare that seemed familiar, a familiar loneliness.

But soon he turned his head away and back forward, then replied, "No one, kitten. No one at all." Alice was puzzled by this, still not understanding the familiarity.

But the Cheshire Cat did. He had been a no one and met the kitten.

**~9~**

"Here's your number. You are to be known as 9 now. Now move along," said the man, who had slipped a tag around his neck and pushed him along. He stumbled, glancing around the dirty and lightly crowded warehouse, and then looked down at the tag which read the number 9. That was who he was…wait, that wasn't right! He wasn't 9, he was…

His golden brown eyes widened in shock. He couldn't remember his own name!

Then a rough hand grabbed his shoulder, muttering for the boy to come with him. But 9 –which _was_ his name now, wasn't it– slipped out of the hold, turning and backing away.

"Don't touch me…" he managed to get out, shaking and heart beating in fear. Then the grimy-looking man's face contorted into anger, taking a step closer to the boy. The boy backed away, eyes and body filling with fear.

"come 'ere boy…" the man growled, reaching out. The boy dodged the arm and then ran, hearing yells multiplying behind him. The ratty, black-haired boy burst through the doors, blood and thundering footsteps ringing in his ears. 9 glanced left and right before taking a direction and running down the street, dodging people. Then he managed to slip away like a cat in the darkness of an alley.

He was panting as he sat against the dirty, brick alley wall, knees drawn up to his small chest. The boy was only wearing rags for clothing, which barely shielded him from the cold weather. Thoughts wondered in his head, making it hurt.

What was he to do, to go, and…who had he been?

No answers came to him, just headaches. He then felt his insides twist in hunger, belly aching in want of something to be put inside of it. But…that would be the least of his worries, since 9 soon heard a noise and whipped his head to the source of said noise, wondering what it was. His heart in his chest pounded with fear, pumping that fear throughout his entire body.

But it just turned out to be a kitten, black with little specs of white. It had appeared at the alley opening, staring at him as he stared back. Then the kitten meowed and wandered closer to him, reaching the boy in a few seconds. 9 watched the kitten with hesitant interest before reaching out to pet it. Its back arched against his hand, a small smile forming slowly on the boy's face.

Then this small comfort seem to hear another presences arriving, glancing to the head of the alleyway to see a small girl in blue walk in, spotting the cat.

"Dinah," she said, the cat responding with a meow. The girl in blue walked over to the kitten and him. She didn't seem like a threat, but 9 didn't know for sure. Then the dark-haired girl –who had bright green eyes, at this distance he could tell– picked the cat up, petting it within her arms. Her gaze then locked on onto his honey-chocolate's.

"Hi," she finally spoke to him, still petting the cat named Dinah. There was a pause before the dirt-stained boy replied with a meek 'Hi' in return. The girl in blue opened her mouth to speak again, but a name was called out from out the alleyway.

"Alice, where are you?"

The one named Alice looked over her shoulder, 9 watching as she turned her head back forward and said a 'Goodbye.' The messy-haired, rag-wearing boy nodded, watching her leave. As he did so, he never saw the shadow advancing on his sitting, even before he could widen his soft, chocolate-amber eyes and turn his head.

Soon, his world of London went dark.

…~Wonderland~…

As he opened his eyes to see the forest around the small house, he slowly arose from where he was napping on the roof, stretching out.

"Cat…kitty cat, where are you?" called a voice from below. The stripped cat with golden eyes glanced below, a large grin spreading on his face.

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><p>Alright, hope you enjoyed that. I do think that Cat should have gotten more an active role in the game and said more than just his riddles. But that is just me.<p>

REVIEW!  
>PEACE OUT GIRL SCOUT!<p> 


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